North Texas junior guard Niq'ky Hughes and WKU sophomore forward Vanessa Obafemi dive for the ball before it goes out of bounds during the second half at diddle arena. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/Herald

The Lady Toppers are proving they can rebound in more ways than one.

Sure, they average two more boards per game than their opponents.

But they’re also showing that they can shake off their worst home loss in years with style.

After taking an 88-63 shellacking at the hands of Middle Tennessee in Diddle Arena Sunday, Western (12-8, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) bounced back with a 101-53 win over North Texas Wednesday night.

So how did the Lady Toppers go from their worst loss in Diddle under Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles to their second-largest home win in a matter of four days?

Cowles said it comes down to playing 100 percent at all times.

“Monday’s practice was incredible,” she said. “They were so focused. They were very high energy, and that right there set the tone for what they were able to do (on Wednesday).”

After what Cowles called a “disgusting loss” against Middle Tennessee, Western dogged North Texas from the tip, forcing the Mean Green to commit 31 turnovers and shoot 55.2 percent for the game.

Senior forward Arnika Brown said the biggest factor for the opposite outcomes was a difference in determination.

“We pretty much knew Sunday wasn’t what we expected,” Brown said. “Sure, we knew what we wanted (Wednesday), and we just came out and played from the tip. It wasn’t anything special. We just came out and played.”

WKU sophomore forward Keisha Mosley grabs a rebound over North Texas defenders during the second half at Diddle arena Wednesday 27, 2010. Mosley would lead Western in their 101-53 victory against North Texas with 20 points. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/ Herald

One thing Cowles said she thinks may be helping the team’s refocused efforts is the beginning of the spring school semester.

Senior guard Kenzie Rich said the practice-game monotony of winter break can create some cabin fever, and the players can even become a little sick of each other.

“The winter break is so long,” she said. “All we do is practice, and then we go back to the hotel. Now we’re getting used to … going to class, then coming straight to practice, so we’re trying to get back into that routine.”

And it’s a routine that Cowles hopes isn’t broken by any more lapses in focus like the MTSU loss.

“We were just bad, especially defensively,” she said. “We were bad at both ends of the floor and just didn’t have any carryover from preparation to game time.”

But with school in session and the number of regular season games left dwindling, many of the players, including Rich, can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Coach Cowles just said that Senior Day will be here before we know it,” Rich said. “It’s crazy, because I honestly feel like the season just started.

“We have great fan support. A lot of my family can come to games, which means a lot to me, so I’m looking forward to the next few home games we have.”

All of the Lady Toppers have vowed to make the most of the remaining games before postseason play.

But for now, sophomore forward Keisha Mosley said they have to continue to bring the same fire that they showed for 40 minutes against North Texas.

“Everybody came out and did their part, and we’ve got to continue to do that, not just in different games,” she said. “We’ve got to continue to progress.”

Western next hosts New Orleans at 1 p.m. Sunday in Diddle.